This post contains affiliate links.
This is your foolproof guide to making healthy homemade Greek yogurt. With just two simple ingredients and basic kitchen tools, you can enjoy homemade Greek yogurt that is healthier and more flavorful than store-bought versions.
save this recipe!Milk is made up of casein and whey. While whey is the watery substance left when the milk curdles, casein is what curdles and is used to make cheese and yogurt! And the best part? This process is incredibly easy to do at home!
Hundreds of people have used this recipe to successfully make yogurt in their kitchens—yours next?
- Control the ingredients: No thickeners or added sugars—just milk and live cultures (aka yogurt).
- Budget-friendly: A quart of homemade yogurt costs a fraction of the store-bought stuff.
- Double-duty: You also get whey (the leftover liquid), which you can use in smoothies, bread, or cooking grains.
Reader rating
“I just gave it my first go and it turned out perfect! Never dreamed making yogurt was so easy!” —Nicole
Just 2 Ingredients
Yogurt is a fermentation (just like kefir, kombucha, and kimchi), meaning it’s created by adding some bacteria (yogurt) to a sugar-containing substance (milk) and letting the bacteria eat up the sugar. So to make yogurt at home, you’ll just need 2 ingredients:
- Yogurt: Use a good-quality yogurt with live or active cultures listed on the label. (After this first batch, all future batches can use what you made as the yogurt starter. You’ll never need to buy it again!)
- Milk: Whole-fat milk produces the best texture for homemade yogurt.
This is just an overview; jump to the recipe card for measurements!
The process is simple
This is just an overview; jump to the recipe card for full printable instructions and step-by-step photos!
- Heat the milk: Warm milk to 185–200°F. This changes its proteins so the yogurt thickens properly.
- Cool it down: Quickly cool to 100–110°F. This is the ideal temp for activating the yogurt cultures.
- Add the starter: Whisk in live culture yogurt to introduce the bacteria that make yogurt.
- Ferment: Cover and let sit in a warm spot (like the oven with the light on) for 4–8 hours to thicken and develop tang.
- Strain (optional): For Greek yogurt, strain in the fridge until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Store and enjoy: Chill and use as you would store-bought yogurt—sweet or savory!
Tips For Success
Keep it warm: The oven light should be enough, but if your kitchen’s cold, turn the oven on for one minute every few hours to gently rewarm.
Tanginess depends on time: A 4-hour ferment makes mild yogurt. Closer to 8 hours = tangier.
Save some as a starter: You can use a few tablespoons of your homemade batch as a starter for the next one.
More than just for breakfast
Use your freshly made Greek yogurt to whip up Spinach Artichoke Dip or Healthy French Onion Dip. And my favorite way to use Greek yogurt? In this quick and easy tzatziki sauce!
How to Make Greek Yogurt (No Special Equipment)
Equipment
- Medium pot with lid, aim for the heaviest/thickest pot you have
- Kitchen thermometer
- Quart-sized jar or bowl
- Mesh sieve
- Cheesecloth or thin dishcloth, coffee filters, paper towels etc. placed inside a mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk, 960 mL
- ¼ cup plain store-bought yogurt, ensure the container says “live” or “active” cultures, 60 g
Instructions
- Heat Milk: Place 4 cups whole milk in a medium pot and heat to 185-200°F (85-93°C), stirring frequently to preventing a skin from forming.
- Cool Bath: Transfer the pot with milk to an ice bath (I filled my sink with ice and water), to cool milk to 100-110°F (37-43°C).
- Mix: Add ¼ cup plain store-bought yogurt to the cooled milk and whisk well to combine.
- Ferment: Cover jar or bowl with a lid, wrap in a moist, warm towel to keep in heat, and place in oven. Turn on oven light to keep warm, and let the bacteria do its yogurt making magic for 4 to 8 hours (or overnight).*
- Strain: You can eat the yogurt like this, or strain it to make Greek yogurt. To strain, line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth (or paper towels, coffee filters etc), and pour yogurt in. Place over a large bowl and let strain in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight), until it’s reach a consistency you like.
- Serve chilled with your favorite yogurt toppings, or use it in a recipe as you would store-bought yogurt!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Can I make Greek yoghurt with lactose free milk?
I haven’t tried using lactose-free milk with this recipe so I can’t say for sure!
Thank you for this easy to follow recipe! I made my first batch of raw goats milk yougurt. I let mine go for 8 hours and it was just fantastic. Very creamy and thick!
Once I make the yoghurt, can I use my homemade yoghurt as my culture for future yoghurts?
Yes!
Liked the recipe and make my own Greek yogurt.
How does the protein “grow”? Milk is about 8 grams protein per cup, almost evenly split between curds and whey. 8 g to 19.7 g implies that the protein increases as well as changes. Do the bacteria increase or modify the proteins? How much protein is left is the strained weigh?
It’s mostly from the protein becoming condensed! Milk has a lot of extra moisture in it that gets removed in the yogurt making process, so the resulting yogurt is more dense in protein.
I made this recipe for my first time making yogurt and it turned out really well! The recipe is clear and easy to follow.
I have been adding small amounts of sugar as well as a bit of lemon juice for flavor.
Thank you!
When the “whey” is also has good protiene why should we strain it..and make greek yougurt.
Hi! I’ve made this recipe weekly for a while now, and we’re really enjoying! We flavored it with coffee, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar and french vanilla(coffee and vanilla). Only trouble is that it comes out lumpy. What can I do to avoid that?
It sounds like it could be over fermenting possibly, that’s usually the cause for lumps!
Used this recipe to make 0% Greek yogurt. It worked really well. I drained the yogurt once done but left it too long – from 7:00 am – 10:30 pm. It was too solid, I did put a few tablespoons of the whey back into the yogurt but it was still too solid for me. I’m making another batch and will put it in cheesecloth tomorrow but for less time. It’s a learning process – but well worth it for me. Thanks for the great recipe
Hi Marlene! Could you kindly share what modifications you made to the ingredients/procedure to make your yogurt nonfat please? Thank you so much in advance!
When do I add fruit for specific flavor options? Do I need to or can I opt to add sugar or honey to sweeten? Thank you
You can add fruit, honey, or sugar! Add it right before serving 🙂